The Fall Of The Jedi
by Twinks
Summary: My idea for Episode III. Takes place a few years after Ep II. Anakin is still a Padawan, and new Sith are introduced as Palpatine is plotting the downfall of the Jedi and his own rise to ultimate power. Not complete yet, but getting there. 15 and 16 up!
1. 1

The Fall Of The Jedi  
  
  
"Anakin! Ani!"  
  
Anakin tossed in his sleep, his mother's cries echoing in his dreams. He saw her, torn and battered there in front of him. He knew that all he needed to do was touch her. Take her outstretched hand, and she would be saved. But for all his strength, he could not move. His body would not obey, and his mother was dying because of it. She lay there, pleading, then her life finally extinguished. For a moment, Anakin felt relieved. The common sense within him knew that no matter what he had done she would not have been saved, and she was now free from pain. But rage quickly erased any emotion other than itself, and all Anakin felt was a desperate need for revenge.   
  
Then he stepped away from his body. His mind watched in horror as he saw what he had done on Tatooine; slaughtering dozens of Sand People. Anakin wished he could cry, or at least stop the maniacal man slashing at innocent beings, but had no physical way of doing so. He wanted to scream, but could not. In his mind, he could hear the sound breaking from his throat, but there was no sound in his ears.  
  
"Anakin! Please, stop!" A young woman. Anakin's subconscious heard it, but would not respond. She sounded familiar... Mother? No... he ignored her plea.  
  
"Ani, please..." The voice sounded as if the speaker was on the edge of tears. This voice broke through, and the slaughter in Anakin's mind disappeared.   
  
His eye's snapped open, and Padme's face, stained with tears and worry, was very near to his own. Anakin moved to comfort her, but realized she was only there because she had hoped to comfort him. And he had brought her to tears. They looked foreign on something so strong and beautiful as Padme's face, and yet they were there, running down her cheeks and falling from her chin on to her pale nightgown. She spun quickly away from Anakin and ran for the door, her face in her hands.  
  
"No!" Anakin needed Padme's stability, otherwise he did not know what he would do. She grounded him, and at the same time had to power to send him cascading from reality. "Please... I'm sorry."  
  
She peered over her shoulder at the man she loved. Fear was etched into every crevice of her being, and it was obvious.  
  
"I know you don't know what you were saying..." she hesitated, but Anakin's persistent stare prodded her forward. "But you scare me. You scream and say terrible things that I..." Her tears choked the words, and she was forced to stop. Anakin rose from his bed. He pulled her into a tight embrace, and she freed her tears as she sobbed into his shoulder. "...That I don't want to know what you are talking about." She finished.  
  
The words stung Anakin. Padme didn't want to know? That was... different. But why didn't she want to know? She should want to, she was his wife! His rapid thoughts were beginning to feed his anger, but something caught him. He looked down and saw Padme's eyes, darker than usual in the dim light, brimming with tears again.  
  
"I know what you are thinking. And I do care... but you sound as if you are in pain, or causing it... or both." She sounded almost like she was pleading for something.  
  
"And you wouldn't want to help me if I were in pain?" Anakin rose his voice slightly, and a familiar scowl was forming across his face. "You wouldn't want to be there for me?" He tightened around her, pulling her closer and holding her almost prisoner in his strong arms.  
  
Anakin wanted so badly to tell her what he had dreamt of... And of the night he had seen his mother die. Padme knew of his killing the Sand People, but not of the fact that he had enjoyed it. He wanted to tell her, and the only way he knew how to make her ask was to frighten her into it. There was very little Padme was afraid of, but her husband was one of those few things. The darkness that resided right beneath Anakin's surface she had seen too many times, and could not stand it.   
  
"I would be there," She answered, resisting Anakin's tight hold. "I would, you misunderstand..."  
  
"I don't misunderstand anything! You just said you didn't want to know what was wrong, even if I was in pain!" Anakin let go of her, and was now shouting.  
  
"You twist my words! You do it to everyone, but I won't have you doing it to me!" Padme knew she could be vicious if need be, and she felt now was as good a time as ever to bear her weapons. "You know exactly what I meant, and you can't use fear on my to get what you want!" She spat the words at him, hoping they would carry more meaning that way.  
  
"Don't you dare yell at me!" Anakin roared, his voice echoing off the solid surfaces of the room and heightened by the force. The Dark Side of the Force. "Don't ever yell at me!"  
  
Padme was finally truly frightened. She trembled where she stood as she realized that she may have pushed him too far. There was no winning this argument for her, but she would never back down.  
  
"I will yell all I want!" In the back of her mind, she remembered being six years old and screaming that phrase at the top of her lungs. The memory of her anger fed her fire now. "And I will wake everyone in the building to let them know that I will!" She was screaming now, all reason gone. She wanted to win, to make Anakin back down.  
  
But it would not happen. He raised his hand to strike her, and she saw it coming. He hit her hard across her face, her body crumpling to the floor. She lay there, sobs breaking through her small frame. Anakin stepped over her towards the door, hoping to find some fresh air and silence away from her wailing. But as he opened the door, he gasped the find Obi-Wan standing there, the Jedi's anger in his Padawan's behavior obvious. 


	2. 2

AN: Short chapter. I usually hate Author's Notes because they take away from the flow of the story, and that's why there isn't one on the first chapter. But I hope you are enjoying it anyway. I have been wanting to write this for a long time, but I'm not really liking the results. Please review, it would be very helpful. Thanks!  
  
  
Anakin gasped. There was Obi-Wan, his master, who had probably come to break up the argument. Anakin was sure everyone had heard her shouting, just as she had wanted. But Obi-Wan... Now I'm in trouble Anakin thought.  
  
"Get out." Obi-Wan left no room for argument in his orders, but his Padawan tried anyway.  
  
"This is my room! And she's..."  
  
"Get out!" Anakin had never seen Obi-Wan so angry. In fact, he had never seen him angry at all. He decided it was best to listen, and slunk passed his master into the hallway. He turned to speak, but the door slammed in his face. Anger rushed up Anakin's spine, laced with jealousy. Obi-Wan was alone in his bedroom with his wife... who was vulnerable (thanks to him, he added mentally) and in her nightgown. But he knew better than to try to go back in. No one in that room wanted to see him at the moment. Frustrated, Anakin stormed down the hallway.  
  
There was nothing to kick along the way, and Anakin had a sudden pang of homesickness. At least on Tatooine there was always sand to kick and vent one's frustrations on. 


	3. 3

Obi-Wan opened the door to Anakin's room without requesting permission. He knew where his Padawan would be. It had been the same for three days.  
  
Anakin was out on the balcony, meditating. Obi-Wan knew he did not like his meditation disturbed, but eventually he would need to leave the room. He hadn't eaten or slept much in the last three days. And perhaps worse, he hadn't seen Padme.   
  
Anakin knew she was gone. She had left the night he had hit her, and he seriously wondered if she would return.  
  
Obi-Wan thought better of interrupting and left, hoping Anakin would come to his senses soon. There was too much to do for him to sit and brood all day long. And Anakin's trials were coming up. Obi-Wan had once felt he was ready to take them, but was having second thoughts. To him, Anakin was acting like a child. At night, when Anakin's thoughts troubled him and he had become tired of meditation, Obi-Wan knew he was up destroying things. He had seen the broken vases, swept up neatly as if to look like an accident. He had seen Padme's torn clothes, strewn through the closet. He had also seen the burn marks in the carpet, evidence that Anakin had been using his lightsaber and had probably dropped it. Everything had been cleverly concealed, but to a Jedi the evidence was painfully clear. Something needed to be done. And the only one who would have to power to do so was on her way to Naboo.  
  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Padme had left as soon as possible. At first, she had stayed on Coruscant in the Royal Hotel, but was restless. And afraid. She had not wanted to leave her hotel room for fear the Anakin would be out looking for her and may see her. So for two days she stayed in her room, hardly eating or sleeping. And despite her fear, she missed her husband terribly.  
  
On the third day, she knew she had to get out. The room was beginning to smell stale, and she needed to do something. She had contacted Obi-Wan to tell him of her plans, and then left for Naboo immediately. She had very few things with her, and had heard from Obi-Wan that most of her clothes still in her room at home had been destroyed.  
  
"Fine." She said, tight-lipped, when she had been told. "I will just buy more. With Anakin's credits." Obi-Wan had wanted to protest. They were not Anakin's credits, they were his own. Anakin had no money, and had asked his Master to help him. But to tell her that would embarrass Anakin, especially since he had been so embarrassed to even ask.  
  
But now she was on the cruiser provided by the hotel back to Naboo. It was comfortable and large, and was glad the trip would take a few days. She was resting in her cabin when she suddenly burst into tears. She hadn't even told Anakin. Would he have hit her if he had known? Possibly. The idea of his wife being pregnant may have scared him, and could have made him act more rashly.  
  
She tried to brush her tears away, but they kept flowing. The more she thought of her husband the more she missed him. And the more she cried. She stood and walked to the vanity to stare at herself in the mirror. She had used this trick often lately; She would make herself look at her reflection while she was crying to remind herself how ugly tears were. It almost immediately worked. But this time it was more than tears. There was a purple and yellowing bruise covering her right upper cheek and eye from Anakin's strike.  
  
Gingerly she rose her fingers to her damaged face to touch the offensive colors. Yellow was one of Padme's least favorite colors, but at least it meant the bruise was healing. Besides, no one wore purple on their faces anyway. Red, yes. White, definitely. Purple? Never. It was a color reserved for prisoners on Naboo. But at the moment it seemed ironic that she should wear this color, when she felt so much like a prisoner of her own situation. 


	4. 4

AN: I know a few people are not happy about Anakin hitting Padme, but I think Anakin is one who, when angry and not thinking, would do such a thing. Of course he loves Padme, but he is not infalliable and we all know his temper. Anyway, I promise I will try to redeem him. :) I'd love it if you'd review this new chapter, and thank you to everyone who already has!  
  
  
Anakin stood in the middle of the Ta'ier desert on Tatooine. For some reason he was unaffected by the mid-day heat, and he wondered why. He began walking, not knowing which way to go. Suddenly, there was a cry for help behind him. He turned, and the dunes he had just crossed had been replaced by a Sand People village surrounded by cliff faces. The cried grew louder, and Anakin rushed back to help. He broke into the nearest tent, and was startled at what he found. There, tied like a slave, was his mother. Grief and anger poured over Anakin, but once again he could not move. His dream-self would not obey, though his mother was reaching for him. But this time it was different. Shmi was no bloodied or cut, but bruised. A dark purple bruise covered half her face, and there were smaller ones spotting her arms and legs.  
  
"Mother!" Anakin cried. He broke free of his immobility and rushed to her. But as he fell to his knees and grabbed he hand, she turned to sand, screaming, and then blew away.  
  
"No!" Anakin's cry echoed of the surrounding rocks. He held the last bit of sand in his hand that had been his mother. He opened his hand to look, but a single tear fell into the sand, destroying its purity. Anakin angrily threw the offensive stuff away, and quickly stood. Without looking back, he sauntered off into the night desert.  
  
"Don't look back..." He heard whispered on the wind.  
  
  
Anakin was awakened by a familiar voice, but not his wife's. When he opened his eyes, he saw his master, Obi-Wan, sitting across the room. He had been calling his name very softly, but it had succeeded in waking him.  
  
"What?" Anakin asked, annoyed.  
  
"How long do you plan on staying in here?" Obi-Wan's voice was not angry or mocking, perhaps on purpose. "We have much to do."  
  
"Padme is not here, and there is nothing for me to do. Go away. Please" Anakin turned in his bed, putting his back to the Jedi.  
  
"Who's fault is it that she is not here?" Obi-Wan was testing to see how far he could go.  
  
Anakin did not reply. He was crying, and did not want his master to know. Obi-Wan knew very well what his Padawan was doing, but Anakin did not need to know that. Finally, he spoke.  
  
"What have I done, Master? Will she ever come back?" His voice cracked, and he sniffled when he finished speaking.  
  
"I don't know. It's up to her." Obi-Wan's voice was serious, and filled with concern. He wanted to see Padme back with Anakin as well. But not if it meant they would constantly be fighting. They were both too stubborn to ever agree.  
  
"I will get dressed..." Anakin said quietly. Obi-Wan stood to leave, but gave one last glance at his Padawan. He looked like a child. He was wrapped in the blankets, the pillow case wet with his tears. Obi-Wan left, hoping this was the end of this behavior.  
  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
  
Padme arrived on Naboo early in the morning. The sun was only starting to pinken the sky, and the air still bit. She loved it. Coruscant's air was dirty and warm, and there was always a glow about the planet that there never was a sunrise or sunset.   
  
The new queen's hand service had come to help Padme with her bags, but she had only one and insisted on carrying it herself. She arrived at the palace completely underdressed to greet Queen Fortia, but for a former queen and senator like herself, it was excused.   
  
The queen was gracious in her salutations, ignoring formality and greeting Padme as if she were an old friend.  
  
"Welcome home, Padme." She said with a smile. The golden beads on her headdress had a wind-chime affect when she spoke. "Please, have a seat. Your rooms are being prepared."  
  
Padme sat, but asked, "Here, in the palace? I do not wish to impose and stay here. I can find other housing. Besides, I don't know how long I will be staying." It was impolite to refuse the queen, but once again the former ruler was excused.  
  
"I must admit, it is more of my own benefit that I ask you to stay here. I would love some time to talk with you. But if you would be unhappy here, you are of course free to stay where ever you would like. The water country is yours as well to live in if you like." The queen did not seem offended, and Padme was liking her more and more for her honest and easy manner. It was obvious why she had been elected as queen, but Padme wondered how she would behave in a more formal or important situation.  
  
"No, not the water country, thank you Majesty. On second though, I have missed this palace. I would enjoy staying here with you." A genuine smile crossed her face, the first in many days. 


	5. 5

AN: Hope you are liking it so far. Thank you everyone that has been reviewing, I really really appreciate it. Also, Dot and I recently noticed the insane amount of fanfiction that has Anakin and Padme living happily ever after. Why? We all know Anakin becomes Darth Vader, and I personally think that creates an incredibly intriguing character, and that is why I have chosen to write about him. So I am sorry to everyone that wants Anakin to stay with Padme, but I'm not one to go and change the entire Star Wars universe. :) And c'mon, what would The Empire Strikes Back be without "No Luke, I am your father!" in it? The world would be a very different place...  
  
  
In the days following Padme's leaving, Anakin threw himself into his training. He knew they trials would be hard, and he had lost more days than he had to spare while sulking in his room. He made only one effort to contact his wife, but when his communication went unanswered he left it alone. His message was a long one containing a sincere apology, but he had no way of knowing what Padme's reaction was.  
  
Anakin spent hours in lightsaber training. It was his strongest point and therefore what he enjoyed the most. Obi-Wan constantly had to remind him that there was more to study than combat, and went so far as to take his lightsaber for a day. Despite Anakin's obviously troubled state, he had no quarrels with his Master. Obi-Wan was beginning to remember why he had originally felt Anakin was ready for the trials.  
  
On an unusually crisp morning, Anakin woke early. Obi-Wan was already in the main chamber of the living area, and seemed restless. When Anakin came down the lift, he was silent.  
  
"Anakin, I believe you can do this. You will be a Jedi." Obi-Wan's words were sincere, and his inflection reminded both of Obi-Wan's former master, Qui-Gon Jinn.  
  
"Thank you Master. I am... apprehensive. I don't know what to expect." Anakin confided.  
  
"No on ever does. The trials are individualized. No two Jedi have to same. The council will test you as they see fit. I cannot tell you what mine was like, but I am confident in you." The Jedi smiled, and placed a comforting hand on Anakin's shoulder.  
  
  
The ride to the Jedi council chamber was primarily a silent one. Obi-Wan could not offer advice, and Anakin was in deep thought.  
  
"Master," He finally said, "If I do not pass, what will happen?"  
  
"You will pass." Was all Obi-Wan said, and there was no more to say.  
  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
  
Padme had grown comfortable in the queen's presence. Her first impression had been correct; Fortia was an honest, likable woman. She was considerably older than Padme had been when she took the throne, but that did not make her any less of a ruler.  
  
"Padme," Fortia had asked one evening, "Do you plan on going back to Anakin?"  
  
Padme had spend a good minute in thought, until she finally answered.   
  
"I don't know. I miss him... I miss him more than anything, but I will not come crying back. I am surprised I have not heard from him yet actually. We have argued before, though never so violently, but he always apologizes quickly." Her voice trailed off, and she stared at the ground.  
  
"You do not wish to contact him?" The queen asked, knowing full well what the answer would be.  
  
"I do. But I won't."  
  
"Padme, there is very little advice I can offer you. I wish I could say what I want for you, but it is not my place. But I feel you must decide quickly. You have told me his trials are soon, but I fear that he will not pass if he does not have your support." The queen's sincerity was touching, but Padme had more to think about.  
  
"And what of my child? I want to tell him, but what will he do? He cannot be a Jedi and love me too. And Obi-Wan has broken many rules for us already, but I cannot expect him to keep the knowledge that Anakin has a son hidden. And so I am torn."  
  
"Do you not think that Anakin would sacrifice his Jedi Knighthood for you and his son?" Fortia asked. "He does love you."  
  
"I know he would. That is the problem. All he has ever wanted is to a be Jedi. And if he abandons that, he will be unbearable. And what of his power? I have seen that power, and unchecked it can very easily be used for evil." Padme continued to stare at the ground as she spoke.  
  
The queen agreed, but said no more. There was more to think of.  
  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
  
On Alans Prime, a Sith was training. Morolan was a powerful, intelligent trainee, and the one of the most promising. Darth Camain was his Master, and she was making sure the young man grew to his entire potential.  
  
Camain had found the boy on Alans three, alone and near death of starvation. His family had been killed one of the numerous plagues, leaving him alone in the wastelands. The Sith had immediately sensed his ability in the force, and she began harboring his anger. She told the boy that his parents had abandoned him, left him to die, and he should seek revenge.  
  
For three years he had been Camain's apprentice. She had taught him almost everything she knew, and then some. This particular afternoon he was running. While the Sith knew their greatest ally was intelligence, physical abilities were not overlooked. Morolan always found that he thought best while running, and today he was thinking of his family. His sister, Bellid, had always been one of his favorites. He tried to imagine what she would look like now, nearly ten years old. She of course was beautiful now, she always had been. He imagined that his family had moved to a more pleasant planet. Somewhere not in the Alan's cluster, but distant and with a nicer climate. In his mind he saw them, basking in the soft sunlight of a hazy planet. Their skin glowed brown with exposure while his own stayed as pale as the day he was born. Their large feathered wings shone in the sunlight, highlighting their strong muscles.  
  
His green eyes flashed as he remembered why he hated them, and he increased his speed. 


	6. 6

Obi-Wan soberly watched as Anakin walked into the council chamber. He was somewhat worried. His trial had been primarily physical, and therefore took place in a more open, wide space. But Anakin had been instructed to come to the council building on Couruscant, which led Obi-Wan to think that his Padawan's trial would be primarily mental. Anakin did possess incredible power with the Force, but often left his more violent tendencies unchecked.  
  
"Master Obi-Wan," Yoda called from within the chamber. "Have you something to say to your Padawan?" Obi-Wan caught Anakin's eyes. If there had been something he wanted to say, it had been said in that glance.  
  
"May the Force be with you, my friend." He said, nodding slightly. The door slid shut as the two continued to stare, Anakin inside while Obi-Wan took a seat in the cushioned waiting area.  
  
He hoped he would never have to call the young man his Padawan again.  
  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
  
Morolan flexed his large wings in the dim morning sun. Despite the poor light they were a sight to see; the red-brown feathers catching every ray of light available. The small man jumped from the precipice he stood on, enjoying the adrenaline pulsing through his veins. At the last moment he threw open his powerful wings and took a sharp turn upwards on the rising warm air.  
  
He soared above the rock faces and cliffs, happy to be in the skies. He was tired of spending so much of his time down in the heavy air of the surface. His large lungs were designed to gather as much oxygen as possible from the thinner atmosphere of the mountains, making it uncomfortable to live with the landed.  
  
The sharp mountain winds carried Morolan to where his Master was waiting. He landed quietly, his stealth aided by the soft carmas fur boots. The pair lived in abandoned sickness camps, each on opposite sides of the cliffs. Camain's home had been built on a plateau between the fourth and fifth ridges, while her apprentice lived in a camp near the top of the first ridge.  
  
Minute sparrow-bees flew around the entrance to Camain's chamber, and Morolan swatted them away as he entered. His master lounged on a sitting bench of soft wood covered in birdsilk and feathers, both taken from her native planet. The sparrow-bees hummed about her head, meticulously braiding her long, silver hair.  
  
"And what monotonous training have you for me today?" The apprentice spoke.  
  
"Training? What makes you think that?" Camain asked sarcastically.  
  
"Your hair," He answered. "You only plait it when we are to do something potentially harmful to it." He received a dangerous smile as his only reply.  
  
The Sith's hair was one of her most prized possessions. She pampered at as if it were alive, much to her apprentice's annoyance. He felt she spent too much time concerned with her physical appearance. There were very few who ever stumbled across the two, and none who lived to tell about it. The knots and braids used to tie the silvery mass away from harm were so intricate she could not do it herself, and they took a full day to dismantle. Early in Morolan's training it had been his meticulous job to undo her hair, but his small hands were not strong or dexterous enough to perform the task efficiently. Camain then turned to using mind tricks on the insect life to braid and unbraid.  
  
Finally free from the fussing of the sparrow-bees, Camain stood. Her beauty was fading, but she was very obviously a Sith. Her pink-red skin was dotted with darker patches of blood red, her eyes hard and gray. She was intimidating to even battle hard warriors, and she exploited that ability against every enemy.  
  
"Today," she whispered, penetrating the silence, "We are leaving for Naboo." 


	7. 7

Padme sat in the yellow gardens of the Naboo palace. She had spent more and more time in the secluded area thinking, as Fortia had become very busy in political matters and no longer had time to spend with her friend. Padme had begun to feel the first effects of her pregnancy, and it made her miserable. Physically she felt weak, while emotionally she was drained and lonely. Every morning she glanced in the mirror and the tiny bit of bulge forming gave her great pride and at the same time great anger. Where was her husband? She wanted Anakin to see this so much. Twice she had brought herself close to sending a communication, though neither had been sent. She wept each day for him as if he had died.  
  
In her dreams she saw him. Anakin was almost always there, though his temperament differed each time. Once he was begging for her forgiveness after he had broken a vase, and she would not give it. In another, it was Padme who had broken the vase and was begging of Ani forgiveness. He gave it, though hid all the glass in their home from his wife. In her most disturbing dream she saw him as a what she assumed was a bounty hunter, dressed in black robes and cape. She could not see his face through the dark mask he wore, but she knew it was him. His labored breathing through the mask haunted her sleep for many nights after that.  
  
Today, sitting in the gardens, Padme was trying to decide what to do. She could not hide here forever. Naboo had once been her home, but now it felt strange after having spent so much energy to make a new life on Coruscant. If she went back, would Anakin still be there? He may have left long ago for all she knew.  
  
She sat in the soothing sun for hours thinking of her husband before she finally fell asleep on the cushioned ground.  
  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
  
Camain and her apprentice sat in the most comfortable area of the ship they had been sent. It was small, rusted and almost falling apart, but it was still a ship.  
  
"This is all that man can spare? And we are helping him…" The Sith whispered as she ducked under the low beams and dangling wires. Morolan's frustration finally got the better of him in the tiny space.  
  
"What are we doing?" He whined. "This thing probably won't even make it to that planet, and we will have failed our mission for an idiot Sith we have never even seen!" He sat on the floor so to have more room for his wings, and while still folded, flexed them to emphasize his point. "Who is this Darth Sidious, and why do I not get the whole story?"  
  
Darth Camain sighed. Only a few days ago had she come to know the whole story herself.  
  
"Sidious is a powerful and political man, and is trying to create a stronger following of the Sith. Two is far too few to destroy the Jedi, and he needs our help. He contacted me on the planet about an intercepted communication and he feels now is the time to act. There is a boy, Anakin Skywalker, who he believes is going to fail his Jedi trials. When that happens, he will fall to the dark side from the anger that controls his judgment. That is when we will strike. The Jedi will fall at the hands of the Sith, and we will rule."  
  
"Why are we to destroy the Jedi? What have the done?" The young man did not understand. He did not know there was more than one side to the Force. "And is Skywalker on Naboo?"  
  
Camain only answered his last question.  
  
"Not the boy, but his wife. We are to destroy her to secure Anakin's place among us."  
  
"This is stupid" Morolan said under his breath. He stood quickly, banging the upper joints of his wings against the ceiling. He yelled in pain, followed by much cursing as he stalked away into the only cabin on the ship.  
  
Camain was worried about him. He was too sympathetic and caring to be a Sith. Through his entire training she had never told him which side he was on, and hoped he would never find out. She despised the Jedi with all her being, but it was not so for her apprentice. His family, as he believed, was alive and well. And while he hated them for leaving him to die, in his heart she knew he was happy for them. It was his nature to find the good in something, and he was all to optimistic. Two habits Camain had tried to break him of, but was mostly unsuccessful. Her worst fear was that Morolan would realize what he was doing and would join the Jedi, and then she would be left with no one. She didn't care about the Sith as a whole, but couldn't imagine being stranded on the cold planet of Alans Prime without someone to help her pass the time.  
  
Perhaps, she thought, I am not as terrible as I make myself out to be. She smiled at the thought, but dismissed it. She would help with the destruction of the Jedi even if it meant her own endless solitude. 


	8. 8

Morolan sat in the tiny cabin, ducking to avoid the various annoying instruments and wires dangling from the ceiling. After hitting his head for the third time on a low pipe, he gave up and fell to the floor, sighing heavily. What am I doing here? He thought. I have no hate towards the Jedi… or whatever they are.  
  
He gave up trying to justify his master's actions and began preening his wings. They had been completely neglected in the last few days, and Morolan regretted it as he began to try recovering their forgotten sheen.  
  
Though as hard as he tried, he could not make himself think of anything else. His thoughts on Bellid, his sister, didn't last long, nor did those on how disgusting the ship he rode in was. His master's actions confused him. He knew Camain was ruthless, and there was nothing she would not do to secure his or her own happiness. In a way, she had replaced the mother he so desperately missed, despite her constant training and punishments. He realized with a gasp that he loved her. Quickly his surprise disappeared and he smiled at the thought. It was nice to have someone to love, though nicer to be loved in return.  
  
  
The trip was would take thirteen days to reach Naboo. Thirteen painful days when your wings are too tall to keep them from hitting things. Morolan desperately wanted to stretch, but there was not a single place on the ship tall enough or wide enough to do so. His wings grew stiff and sore from lack of use, and he took every opportunity to complain about it to his master. Finally she grew tired of it.  
  
"Morolan!" She yelled. "Stop this instant! I have heard quite enough of your pointless complaints, and I do not want to hear another word from you concerning those monstrous wings!" She was pinker than usual, which was a sight to see in that her skin was naturally a soft red. She added, "If you must speak, do so about something worth while."  
  
Morolan was hurt, but only so until he was given the opportunity to talk about something else. "Fine," He said, thinking about what new topic he should chose. Finally he spoke again. "Tell me about yourself."  
  
Camain gave him a disbelieving look, but conceded and began to tell of her discovery of the Force. The young man listened in rapt attention.  
  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
  
Padme was growing exceedingly restless and irritable with each passing day. Very few took any time to spend with her, and the only one Padme was even a fraction happy to see was the queen. She did not have much time to spare anyway, but the few moments she had she spent with Padme.  
  
"What do you hope to do here?" Fortia asked Padme abruptly one day. She did not give her friend time to reply before she began again. "I know you miss Anakin a great deal, and I must admit that it shows very plainly in your manner. I also know that he must have taken his trials by now, and I hope for both of you that he has passed. Despite my offer earlier to house you as long as you desired, I must go back on it. You can no longer stay in my palace." The queen's voice was firm, and Padme did not argue. She knew Fortia was only doing it to help her. She also knew she was lucky to have a friend willing to be so brutally honest, if in a rather diplomatic way.  
  
"Very well, my queen. May I ask for a transport?" Padme was trying to think of where she would have a transport take her, but did not want to miss the opportunity. She knew she may not get a chance to speak to the queen for a long time.  
  
"Of course, but that is the only service I can offer you. Please, follow me to the ports, we shall choose a ship for you and it will be ready by the time you are done packing." Fortia steered the younger woman to the docking ports, and their conversation ended.  
  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
  
Obi-Wan patiently sat on the cushioned seat outside the council room for a long time. When he was sure many hours had passed, he gave up trying to be patient and fell into meditation. He did not know how long had passed when he heard a terrific noise coming outside his mind. He pulled himself from his trance and opened his eyes just in time to see Anakin storm passed him. He followed the young man with his eyes, then glanced back into the Jedi council room. There he met Yoda's eyes, who quickly lowered his gaze and shook his head.  
  
"No!" Obi-Wan whispered, his eyes wide in astonishment. He jumped up to follow after his padawan.  
  
  
"Anakin! Anakin, wait!" He was jogging down the hallway to try and catch Anakin, who abruptly turned to face his master just as he was catching up.  
  
"I failed, Obi-Wan! I am not a Jedi, and never will be!" Anakin made no attempt to conceal the tears that raced down his face. He did not care who saw, all he wanted was someone to comfort him.  
  
"Anakin, you will be a Jedi, I have promised you, and so has Master Qui-Gon." Lies did not sit well with a Jedi, and Obi-Wan was no exception. He knew there was no way Anakin would be a Jedi now, one was given only one chance. "I will… see what I can do." In his heart, Obi-Wan knew the council would not budge. They had never wanted Anakin to be trained in the first place, and he hoped that was not the reason he was failed.  
  
At the mention of Qui-Gon, Anakin's tears doubled. For a split second he wondered if all this was Obi-Wan's fault. He wondered if Qui-Gon had trained him if he would have passed, but quickly forgot as thoughts of Padme filled his mind. He gave Obi-Wan a terribly pathetic look as he slunk to the floor with the weight of what he had done. Finally, he fully realized what he his actions had caused so many weeks ago. Somehow Obi-Wan was now at his side, and Anakin let himself lean into his embrace as he sobbed loudly.  
  
"I miss her so much!" He cried, between quick gasps for air. Obi-Wan recognized that he was hyperventilating, and that he needed to calm him down. "Obi-Wan, I have to see her! Why didn't she reply? Why doesn't she love me anymore?" Anakin buried himself deeper into the folds of Obi-Wan's cloaks, and all of his master's hopes of redemption for his padawan disappeared. There was no way to convince the council to re-try him after this outburst. He thought perhaps that it was for the best Anakin didn't pass with how unpredictable he could be, but as he held the shaking frame of a freed slave, he desperately wanted to fight for another chance. 


	9. 9

"Finally!" Morolan whispered as Naboo came into view. He wanted to jump from the ship now and fly to the surface. No, he wanted simply to be free of the crowded ship. And he knew that he probably couldn't fly right then anyway; his wings had been far too long without being used.  
  
"Come," He heard Camain's voice from behind him. "Put this on." She handed a cape, longer than most, to the small man. He threw it over his shoulders and the Sith had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. With the cape draped across his wings, greasy hair, and pale skin, he looked like a hunched over war refuge. "Perfect." She said with a smile, placing a hand on a muscular shoulder. "Though I have to get ready as well."  
  
She spun, and walked into the cabin to dress, leaving her apprentice alone for the last few minutes of the trip. The plan was to land on Naboo in distress mode, and hope that the royal guard would be the ones to find them and offer assistance. They then would find the woman they sought and kill her. The pilot, long since deceased and disposed of at the hands of one of his passengers, had balked at the plan. He did not like the idea of almost crash-landing his ship despite the terrible shape it was already in.  
  
"I'm making tons of improvements as we speak, lady!" He had said. "She's got it where it counts, if not in the looks department." That was his last argument, as well as the last time saw his beloved ship.  
  
Morolan had been upset when Camain killed the pilot. His only pride was the ship, and after all he was only hired help. He and Morolan had become fast friends in the long tedious hours spent together, so much so that the ship was finally given her name in their company. She had been named the Millennium Falcon, inspired by Morolan's powerful wings. Though the pilot had never seen them in action and they looked dirty and useless now, he knew they hid tremendous power, and was not willing to go up against them. Both felt the name seemed fitting in the situation.  
  
"What will we do with the ship after we crash?" Morolan called through the door. "We will need a way to get out of here. And how will we know Padme when we see her?"  
  
"I will recognize Padme when I see her, so leave that to me." There was a long pause, and Morolan thought he could hear sobbing from the other side of the door.  
  
"You alright?" He asked softly. She spoke, but did not answer.  
  
"And hopefully they have a mechanic who will be kind enough to help a war-scarred lady and her sickly son…" She replied as she opened the door. Her disguise was convincing. Her hair had been torn and matted and it hung limply about her face while her clothes, made from scraps of left over material from Alans Prime, were ill-fitting and bulged or sagged in all the wrong places. The tears they young man knew she must have been crying were for her hair, now destroyed and disgusting. He forced a smile or her sake.  
  
"Lookin' good…" Morolan joked just as the navigation computers started to beep. They both rushed into the tiny cockpit, Camain taking the pilot seat with Morolan in the copilot.  
  
"Do you know how to fly this?" Morolan asked nervously. Until then they had been on auto-pilot, and it was obviously having a few complaints about flying itself into a planet's face.  
  
"No, but I'm sure I can crash it. Hold on to something." She banged on the control panel with her small fists, causing the already over-heated circuits to spark and fry.  
  
"Here we go…" She said quietly as she sat back and buckled herself in.  
  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
  
Padme and Fortia were making their way to the docking ports when they spotted the trail of black smoke skidding across the sky. The watched it as it fell to the ground, shaking the earth to where they stood. Both glanced at each other for a brief second, then took off sprinting in the direction of the fallen ship.  
  
As they ran, Padme could not help but be happy. This could be Anakin! She thought. And look at the queen! Running in her full dress… I will have to thank her later.  
  
The thought that perhaps someone else waited on board did not even enter her mind.  
  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
  
"Pack your things Anakin, we are leaving." Obi-Wan startled the younger man, but he did was he was told without a word. In fact, he had taken to doing everything without any noise at all. He had sent three communications in the last two days to Padme, begging her forgiveness for what Anakin finally realized was one of the worst mistakes of his life. There had not been a reply to any of them from his wife.  
  
"Master," Anakin spoke, his voice cracking. He did not know if it was fitting to call Obi-Wan so anymore, now that he had failed. The older man seemed not to notice as he helped shove Anakin's few belongings into a satchel.  
  
"Yes?" Obi-Wan did not look up as he spoke. Anakin stopped packing, and watched his master hurriedly scoop up clothes and blankets. Finally, Obi-Wan grew tired of waiting for a response, and looked up at Anakin.   
  
"What?" He asked.  
  
"Master, why the rush? Is there something you haven't told me?" Anakin sounded more like a sniveling child than himself. Usually he would have been rather upset to hear that he had not been told everything, but this time there was no anger to his words.  
  
"There is, Anakin, but not because I wanted to keep it from you. I was just notified of it myself." Obi-Wan had gone back to packing, and was distracted. Anakin waited for more, but when none came finally grew impatient.  
  
"What is it, Obi-Wan!?" He cried, throwing his arms out. "Has something happened to Padme?" His voice was near breaking again as it so often had been recently.  
  
"I don't know. Possibly, and that is why we must hurry. Grab that," He said, pointing to an already packed bag on the floor. He continued as he quickly walked down the hallway. "All of your messages have been intercepted. I don't know how in that it was a private communication line, but they were. I have a contact on Naboo and she claims that Padme as received no massages of any kind since she arrived on the planet."  
  
Anakin stopped, disbelief drawn on his face. "You know where she is? You've known all this time and didn't tell me?" Obi-Wan turned and reached for his padawan's arm to try and pull him along. Anakin recoiled at his touch and violently pulled his arm away.  
  
"It was for her, Anakin. Think! She was afraid, but she told me where she went to tell you when the time was right."  
  
"Oh, and now it's right? What about three weeks ago when you saw how much it killed me not to be with her! Or what about four days ago when you knew I wouldn't pass the trials without her! I failed only because she isn't here, and it's all your fault!" He dropped the bag he held and reached for his lightsaber, fully intending to cut his master down in his rage.  
  
"Anakin! She needs you now! Let's go!" Somehow, it got through. He moved his hand away from the lightsaber and followed Obi-Wan as he ran down the corridor to the waiting ship, his bag forgotten on the floor. 


	10. 10

Fortia and Padme arrived at the ship just as the rusted and bent door was lowering. Two forms staggered out, one a young man and the other a tired-looking woman.  
  
"Strangers, can we be of some service?" Fortia asked, holding her hand out.  
  
"Yes, thank you!" the woman exclaimed, falling forward to take the outstretched hand. "Though I am sorry." She looked up into the tall woman's eyes, who was obviously confused.  
  
"For wh-" But before the queen could finish, she crumpled to the grass, her life extinguished by a carefully concealed blaster.  
  
  
Morolan could only watch. He knew they were there to kill Padme, but he felt sorry for her. And what of the other woman, Padme's handmaiden? The girl trembled and shrank as she saw her friend die, to frightened to even cry out. Camain stood and removed her bulky outer layers, tossing them on the grass. The handmaiden slunk to her knees, and Camain raised her blaster to end her life as well.  
  
"No!" Morolan jumped in front of the helpless woman. "We have killed Padme, what else will come from this one's death?" His look was hard and unwavering, and he hoped his master would listen. "She can do no harm now."  
  
"You are senseless! She knows, and must be destroyed." Camain spat, casting a terrifying look at the huddled creature at her apprentice's feet.  
  
"And they will all know soon enough. Let's just go."  
  
"Fine. But you will have Sidious to answer to if something goes wrong."  
  
The threat did not scare Morolan. He didn't even know why everyone was so afraid of Sidious anyway.  
  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
  
Anakin was fuming, but did his best to forget his anger. For once, he used the calming techniques Obi-Wan had been teaching him all along. A little to late, but he had finally learned.  
  
"My bag," He said quietly, only after they had been in the cruiser for a few hours. "I left it in the hallway."  
  
"Nevermind the bag. It will be fine." Obi-Wan said, wondering why he felt it was so important. "We can't go back for it now anyway."  
  
"No, I suppose not…" Anakin looked away and stared at the floor.  
  
"For goodness sake Anakin, snap out of it. We are on out way, aren't we? I'm sure she is fine." Obi-Wan was not having a good day.  
  
"It's not that." Came a small voice. "I'm sorry, Master. I… I'm sorry, that's all."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Suddenly the message light began flashing bright red. Anakin jumped to press it, thinking that it may be Padme. He was surprised when Master Yoda's face appeared in the holo-screen.  
  
"Anakin, where is Master Obi-Wan?"  
  
"He is here," Anakin said, turning the screen so Yoda could see the Jedi.  
  
"Master Obi-Wan! Approve of this mission the council does not! Return you must." Yoda's voice carried more authority that usual as he gave the order.  
  
"I cannot, Master Yoda. Padme may be in danger, and as a friend I must check on her."  
  
"But as a Jedi, obey the council you must."  
  
"Master Yoda, I cannot return. I must find Padme, if only for Anakin's sake."  
  
"A Jedi Anakin is not, and business of the Jedi this is not. Return you must, or relinquish your Jedi Knighthood you will."  
  
For a moment Obi-Wan only stared. And ultimatum? And from Yoda no less. But he would not give up, He would not strand his padawan.  
  
"Then I accept your power and relinquish my title. I am no longer a Jedi." Yoda gave a small nod, then cancelled the signal. Anakin could only stare in disbelief, his mouth gaping as he tried to comprehend what had just passed.  
  
"Obi-Wan…" He could not think of what to say. He wanted to tell Obi-Wan how much he appreciated his sacrifice, but at the same time could not believe that he actually had done it. He wanted also to tell him not to, to call Yoda back and tell him it was a misunderstanding, but he would not abandon Padme.  
  
"I can no longer go by that name. We must think of a new one for me." His voice was surprisingly light for so grave a matter. "Do you know of any good ones?" He asked, turning to face Anakin.  
  
"No," came his reply, still shocked. Then after quick moment, "Ben?" It was the first thing that came to his mind, so he said it.  
  
"Huh? Ben… yes, I like it. Thank you." He smiled, and seemed genuinely happy in his new name. "Ben Kenobi," He muttered as he turned back to face the computers.  
  
"We are almost there. Take a seat." Ben was all business again, and Anakin did not argue. His heart raced with the possibilities of what would happen when he saw Padme. That is, if she was still alive. 


	11. 11

Stealing the star cruiser had been the easy part. Now Morolan had to figure out how to get it out of the hanger. His master stood behind him, growing more agitated with each button he pushed. Finally, one resulted in a small screen lowering itself from the cockpit's ceiling, blocking the frontal windshield. Camain was about to slap the young man when a face appeared on the screen. It was in the middle of an announcement, and the pair listened as it finished.  
  
"…has been killed by two unidentifiable individuals who have crash-landed their ship on the northern grasses on the Naboo Palace grounds. Citizens in the area are warned to stay inside for fear of further confrontation."  
  
"It looks as if your little handmaiden has alerted the authorities that we are here." Camain said with a sneer. "It will be more difficult getting out of here than planned, but not impossible."  
  
The message then looped back to the beginning, playing in its entirety.  
  
"We have just been informed by former queen Padme Amidala that Queen Fortia has been killed by two unidentifiable individuals who have crash-landed…"  
  
Camain did not wait for the message to finish, immediately realizing her mistake.  
  
"Damn your compassion!" She yelled, hitting Morolan sharply across the head. He recoiled, but she quickly grabbed his collar, pulling him from the captain's chair as she dragged him out the of the cockpit heading for the door.  
  
"M'lady!" He cried, choking as he tried to pull the fabric from his throat. "It will do no good going out there!" She paused, and threw the small man down on the hard metal floor.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Padme has already reached the palace to inform them of our presence, so she is a bit inaccessible now. Furthermore, I'm sure she told them what we look like, and that we are looking to kill her. If she were smart, she'd be on her way off planet at this very moment." He rubbed his neck as he spoke, trying to get rid of the burning sensation.  
  
"Fine. We'll wait just outside the planet until she leaves, then destroy her ship." Camain started back down the hallway to the cockpit.  
  
"But what if she doesn't?" Morolan called after her. Camain spun back, her tattered hair flying about her face.  
  
"Make up your mind! Is she going or not?!"  
  
"I don't know… you go and wait outside the gravitational pull, I'll make my way back to the palace to find Padme."  
  
"And you will kill her this time?" A hint of unusual sarcasm was in Camain's voice.  
  
"Yes."  
  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
  
"Master! There it is!" Anakin pointed out the windows as they rapidly approached a small planet.  
  
"I know what Naboo looks like, thank you. Sit down." Ben laughed as he finished. He was amused by Anakin's child-like interest, but behind the humor he was truly concerned for Padme. Something did not seem right, and he had a terrible feeling that it had to do with her.  
  
As the two came closer they saw a small cruiser leaving the planet, but it stopped and hovered just outside the pull. Anakin hailed them, hoping it was Padme. When a dark pink-skinned woman's face appeared on the screen, he was disappointed, but took no chances.  
  
"I am Anakin Skywalker, and Padme Amidala is my wife. Is she aboard your ship?"  
  
The woman looked frantic, squirming in her seat as if it were hot.  
  
"No, Sir Skywalker. I am sorry to inform you, but she has been assassinated in only these last few minutes." A plan was hatching in her brain. She did not care if this was Sidious's poster child, she planned to destroy him. He could ruin everything.  
  
"No!" Anakin cried. He switched off the screen, and looked over to Ben, who's face was contorted in thought.  
  
"She is lying." He simply said.  
  
Suddenly their small craft bounced and jolted with rapid gun fire from behind. The cruiser they had just spoken to was firing at them. Anakin quickly grabbed the controls, and swung the ship around to go head-on into their attacker. He fired, ignoring his master's complaints behind him.  
  
"Don't! She may know something, don't shoot!"  
  
The small Naboo ship flew over the top of the much more cumbersome ship, heavily leaning to port from damage. She made one more pass, and Anakin did not hold back as he fired at her. He caught the ship dead center, causing it to explode in a shower of sparks and fire.  
  
"Great!" Ben huffed, falling back into his chair. "Now we don't know anything."  
  
"I don't care." Anakin said as his turned the ship about again and headed straight for the planet. And he truly didn't care. He was going to find Padme, and could not be stopped. 


	12. 12

Morolan clung to the ceiling, his thin fingers going numb from the exertion. His small stature had allowed him to go unnoticed so far, but he wasn't sure how much longer his luck would hold. He didn't know the way through the palace, and he somehow needed to find Padme and get within close range to kill her with his lightsaber, the only weapon he carried. And somehow in the back of his mind he knew his master was dead. He had heard her cry out in his mind, and suddenly her presence had vanished.  
  
Suddenly his fingers slipped from the marble beam he clung to, causing his upper half to fall, supported only by his legs wrapped around the cold stone. He hung upside-down for a moment, trying to calm his racing heart. Directly below him stood a man and a woman, obviously important by their dress. Just as he pulled himself up a third person burst into the room.  
  
"Reamb Pugre," The man said as he bowed to the woman entering.  
  
"More news, captain. A ship has been destroyed just off the planet. It was one of our own sir, and it is believed that the murderers were both aboard and are now destroyed as well."  
  
"Who destroyed their ship?" The man asked.  
  
"Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. They have just set down on the first landing pad." The man's eyes went wide with surprise and concern. "Shall I have them detained?"  
  
"No, but take Padme as far as you can from here. I will deal with them."  
  
"Yes sir." Both gave a slight bow, and Reamb briskly left the room, her boot heels echoing off the marble floors. The man then turned to the other woman at his side.  
  
"Take your men and secure the palace. Something is wrong, I can feel it." The man paused slightly, looking around the room. "I don't think we are free of the danger yet, and I don't want any more deaths today." He gave another bow, and the woman left. He lingered there for a moment, looking suspiciously around the room before he left as well.  
  
Finally Morolan let go, gliding and landing noiselessly. He took the opposite door out of the room, reasoning that if the captain of security and the messenger went one way, he would definitely want to go the other.  
  
Unfortunately, he found himself on a large balcony overlooking the landing areas. He realized why everyone else had gone the other way, but then again they didn't have wings. As he jumped off the railing, he saw what looked to be the two individuals he had overheard being spoken of inside. If this was Anakin, Padme would be going to opposite way. He veered right, pumping his massive wings as he cleared the palace tiers. In the distance he could just make out the figure of a speeder, and in it Padme and the same messenger from inside. As he reached the peak of his flight, he flattened his arms against his sides and streamlined his body, hoping to make it to the women quickly.  
  
  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
As soon as Anakin stepped from the ship he knew something was happening. The captain of the queen's guard was coming down the walk, and he did not look happy to see his guests. He was followed by several heavily-armed men, all rather large and incredibly intimidating.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, Anakin saw a large winged figure throw itself from the upper balcony and take flight. He followed its path, and pointed it out to Ben, who also took interest. They watched it as it reached a high arc, then dove like a bird of prey spotting its next meal. The two men looked at each other silently, both knowing that they had to reach the whatever the figure was chasing before it did. Suddenly they broke into action, lightsabers on and both battle ready. Nimbly Ben jumped in the air, kicking the captain and another man out of the way. Four more to go. He then slashed at the blaster of another man, doing his best not to hurt him. With a broken weapon, the man backed down, and fell to the ground. Anakin, busy with the other three, was frustrated and trying anything to get passed the men. He blocked a blaster fire with his 'saber, hitting a man in the arm. He fell to the ground also, crying out in pain. Using Ben's trick, he jumping the air, kicking the two hard in the chests. They staggered, trying to catch their breath. Anakin grabbed an undamaged blaster from a man on the ground, and turned to go. As the two ran off in the direction the winged figure had taken, Ben made sure using the Force that the pair on the ground caught their breath.  
  
He and Anakin broke into a dead run, raising small dust clouds from the fields in their wake. As they turned the corner and reached the back side of the palace, they could see a speeder at the far end of the grounds. And directly above was the winged figure, quickly diving on its prey.  
  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
  
Padme didn't know what was happening. She was a mess. Her dress was grass-stained and torn from falling in the grass, and her face was flushed and puffy from both the exhausting run back to the palace and her tears for her lost friend. When she had arrived, she told Captain Mitok of what had happened, and an emergency message had been sent out across the entire planet.  
  
Next thing she knew she was being led to a speeder, accompanied by her friend Reamb. The younger girl drove fast, and Padme wondered why she was in such a hurry but was glad to get away. There was something in the palace that she wanted nothing to do with, but couldn't place it.  
  
As she and Reamb reached the edge of the grounds, a dark shadow suddenly fell across the entire speeder, and both looked up in time to see a man swoop down, arms outstretched to grab them. 


	13. 13

AN: Wow, it's been a long time since I wrote one of these. I actually just realize that I never wrote myself a disclaimer. So of course, as most of you (hopefully) know, most of these characters don't belong to me. I did create Morolan and Camain, so please don't abuse 'em. Reamb isn't mine either... The only people I do seem to own are my roommates... Who unfortunately have not had the pleasure of being in a Star Wars movie. Neither have I for that matter, and it makes me mad... Ok, carry on.   
  
  
Morolan dove in, aiming for the woman he recognized as Padme. At the last second, Reamb threw herself in front of her friend, blocking her from the incoming attack. She was pulled from the speeder quickly, but would not go without a fight.   
  
Morolan struggled to ascend as the woman he held bit and kicked at him. His arms bled where he teeth had torn his skin, but he would not drop her. Once high in the air he hovered for a moment to look at his captive. She was the wrong one. Despite her struggles he planned on setting her back down, but suddenly he was being shot at by blaster fire. Quickly he tossed away the woman he held and raced back down for Padme. She was not the trembling thing he had encountered with his master now. She had pulled a small blaster from the vehicle, and was aiming right for his chest. Morolan swerved sharply and Padme's shot glanced the very tip of his wing, burning feathers but not truly damaging his flight.  
  
He came in quickly, pulling Padme away by her arms. She writhed and spun, hoping he would lose his grip, but when she realized how high they were, she stopped. Morolan juggled her small frame to get a better grip around her waist, but as he circled his arms around her his heart almost stopped. She was with child! And it was his job to kill her…  
  
A shot suddenly caught Morolan in the center of his wing, throwing him from his thoughts. He swerved violently, the pain acute as the blast burned at his feathers and flesh, the small, hollow bones broken beneath the impact. With painful wing beats, he made his way over the high barrier of the palace grounds, glancing back at the still form of the messenger, her body lifeless on the flowering grass. It had been the first death he had ever caused, and it stung at Morolan's heart.  
  
  
Just as she was being pulled over the barrier, Padme saw her husband. He was here to save her.  
  
"Anakin!" She screamed, her tears freely falling. She called his name again as they reached the top of the barrier, but they dipped below on the other side, the high wall blocking her view of the man she had missed so much.  
  
  
"Anakin, don't shoot." Ben placed his hand on the blaster Anakin held ready. "If you knock him down, he will drop Padme." Silently Ben made his way to the messenger. He placed a hand on her cheek, genuinely sad that she had died in a situation she had no reason to be part of other than protecting her friend. He whispered something in a foreign language as Anakin slowly walked up behind him.  
  
"That was a sacred Jedi prayer." Anakin said as Ben rose. "You cannot say it to her, she isn't-"  
  
"I'm not a Jedi." Ben said with finality. "And her sacrifice was more than I have seen in a long time, from man or Jedi. She deserved it."  
  
For a moment both could only stare at her. Ben was right, she had given everything, but Anakin felt a slight pang of guilt. First for wanting to deny her the Jedi prayer, but more sharp was the idea that he, though inadvertently, had caused her death.  
  
Anakin forced himself to look away, not wanting to see the trickle of blood escaping from the corner of the woman's mouth, as well as wanting to be on their way to save his wife. But as he looked at the wall, there was no way out.  
  
"How do we get over?" Anakin asked.  
  
"I don't think we do. They were headed out here for a reason." Ben gestured to the fallen messenger. "There must be a way through, even if it is hidden." He walked to the wall and placed his hands against it. Anakin watched as Ben closed his eyes and used the Force to feel for a crevice or device somewhere along the barrier. As he did so, Anakin could see him begin to sweat, his powers no longer his own. Finally Ben opened his eyes.  
  
"Here." He said, pointing to a small crack at about eye level. "We need a key though." He gestured once again at the messenger.  
  
Anakin stood above the woman, then kneeled down at her side. He placed his hands close to her body, and used the same trick Ben had to find the crack. When he opened his eyes, floating in front of his face was the key, pulled from the secret pocket in her robes.  
  
"Thank you," Anakin murmured as he snatched the key from the air.  
  
Quickly he inserted it into the crack, and a door slip open, its edges not invisible but incredibly well crafted. The two rushed through the door, frantically searching the skies and ground for any sign of the winged man or Padme. In the distance Ben spotted a rustle in the trees, and grabbed Anakin's arm as he took off running.  
  
"He will be badly wounded, so all we need to do is get Padme and go. Do not kill him!" Ben was hatching a plan in his mind. He had long since figured this man was a Sith, but that broke the common idea that there were only ever two. He wanted to question the man, and hopefully turn him over to the council.  
  
Anakin had no such thoughts. He planned to kill the man, Sith or not. The heat created by the force of his sprinting only made him more eager for blood.  
  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
  
Morolan's struggled flight to the shelter of the trees had been a painful one. With every movement of his right wing he felt more bones cracking, more irreparable damage being wrought against the muscles and fibers. Finally he crashed into a sapling, shielding his captive with his own body. The pair tumbled to the ground, Morolan finally losing his grip on the Padme.  
  
Quickly she stood to run, but turned to look back at the small man.  
  
"Just go." He whispered, his breathing labored quick. At that moment both heard a cry, calling from the distance.  
  
"Padme!" It was Anakin. "Padme, run!"  
  
"Anakin!" Padme's eyes went wide with surprise. He had made it through the gate, and was still coming to save her.  
  
Morolan saw her reaction, and feared the worst. This Anakin Skywalker had been the man everyone in the palace had been trying to save her from. After he had decided to let her go, Morolan wasn't about to deliver Padme to her death. He stood and ran at the woman, mistaking her surprise for fear. He pushed off the ground as he picked her up, his long wings hitting tree branches and brambles, adding to the already excruciating pain. Blaster shots narrowly missed him, but he knew they would become more accurate soon.  
  
One blast caught him in the right wing again, but he continued to ascend. Keeping his back to the fire, Morolan hoped to protect Padme and her unborn child. Shot after shot hit him directly in the wings and sent tattered feathers flying, but he would not give up. Past the tree line Morolan could see there was one last hope, and he threw every last bit of strength he had into the flight there. 


	14. 14

Just off-planet a ship waited. Aboard, Darth Sidious sat in meditation. He watched the events unfolding below, and waited for his moment to strike. If things went as planned though, Anakin Skywalker would strike for him. At the right time, Sidious would grant Anakin his most feared powers, pulling him completely to the Dark Side and his new master.  
  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
  
Morolan clung to Padme with strength he did not know he had. For some reason he felt as if he should protect her, to save her from her death, which was quickly catching up at the tip of Skywalker's lightsaber. The mists were not far off, and Morolan hoped that when he reached them they would be safe.  
  
Finally he could go no further. He began falling from the sky, hovering on consciousness. He could hear Padme's scream echo in his mind, but knew nothing else until he hit the hot ground. He looked at the mist rising from a nearby crevice, realizing where he had landed. Only a few feet away was a chasm leading to a river of swirling magma.  
  
"Get up! You're burning!" Padme pulled at his arm, trying to free him from the softening ground.  
  
"Where?" Morolan could not feel a burning sensation anywhere. He glanced at his arms and legs, all intact.  
  
"Get up! Get up!" Was all Padme would say. As she pulled him from the sticky substance, tendrils of a tar-like substance stuck to his wings. Thin trails of smoke made their way upward from the once beautiful feathers, now matted and singed.  
  
"You can't go any further!" Padme had to yell above the deafening rumble of escaping steam. "The ground is unsteady and weak across the break!" Padme suddenly wondered why she was helping the small man.  
  
"We cannot go back, he will kill you! I won't let that happen!" Padme looked confused.  
  
"Anakin?" Morolan nodded. "He is my husband! He is coming to help me! He considers you the enemy!" The pieces finally fell in to place, and the fear she had lived without for so long was creeping its way back up her spine. She knew that Anakin would kill this man. He would not wait for an explanation, he would show no mercy. Padme didn't know what to do.  
  
A figure appeared in the mist. The glow of a lightsaber reflected off the crystals in the air, casting a strange light on everyone caught within the haze. Morolan ignited his own, the blade colorless, adding to the strange lighting.  
  
"Anakin, no!" Ben's cry echoed against the thick air. Anakin came charging at the source of the light, hoping his blade would meet flesh. "Anakin! Stop, he has Padme!"  
  
"Turn it off!" Padme cried to Morolan, not wanting her husband to crash into the both of them. He did, and Anakin stopped advancing. The mists were growing heavier, and no one could see much farther than a few feet. The heat was becoming unbearable as well, Anakin's moist curls flattened to his head. The waiting was the hard part.  
  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
  
Sidious was making it as uncomfortable as possible for those on the planet. He woke himself from meditation, and signaled to his pilot that it was time to descend. From his throat came a terrifying chuckle as he was foreseeing the evens that would lead to both the demise of the Jedi and Obi-Wan Kenobi.  
  
  
* * * * * * *   
  
  
Ben heard a voice ringing in his head and on the air. (AN: "There is a fell voice on the air!" ~Legolas) He knew it immediately to be Sidious, but did not know where the Sith was. Ben switched on his own lightsaber, hesitant to use it. Was it allowed? This was a Jedi weapon, and he was no longer a Jedi. He stared at the blue blade for a moment, contemplating. Tentatively he lowered it, but kept it on, as he walked farther into the mists. Suddenly another blade was illuminated, white light casting strange shadows. Ben recognized Anakin's as his also turned on, blue as his own.  
  
No one moved. It seemed as if everyone was waiting for someone else to make the first advance.  
  
"Anakin!" Padme's sharp cry shattered the tense silence. She struggled, the sounds of her heels scraping against the sticky substance at her feet was all anyone could make out. Suddenly a gasp, then the sound of her body as it hit to the ground.  
  
A strong wind seemed to appear from thin air, coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once. Anakin shielded his face with his arm, the biting wind stinging his hot skin. Slowly he opened his eyes as it died away and saw Padme on the ground, hovering over her was the winged one.  
  
"Who are you?" Anakin yelled, slowly walking towards the other man. No reply. "I asked you who you are!" Anakin raised his lightsaber as a threat, hoping the man would back away from his wife. He did not want to splatter the blood of this being on her dress.  
  
  
Ben hung back as Anakin charged in. Morolan, smaller and quicker, dodged Anakin's first trust then matched it with his own. Both had advantages, but Anakin did not have to added weight of a cumbersome pair of wings covered in a rapidly hardening substance. The fight carried them away from Padme, and Ben took the chance to rush in to help her as he put his lightsaber away.  
  
"Padme," He said softy, raising her head in his hands. He desperately hoped it was not too late. Her eyes fluttered open, fear drawn into their brown depths.  
  
"Obi-Wan," She muttered, her breath coming ragged. He did not stop to correct her.  
  
"You have to get up, you will burn soon. Can you walk?"  
  
"I don't know." As she tried to pull herself up, she saw the fight happening close to the break in the ground, the same which lead to the magma flow.  
  
"No! Stop him!" She cried, tears forming  
  
"Anakin will."  
  
"No, stop Anakin!" Ben looked puzzled. "He thought I was in danger! Oh, please, don't let Anakin kill him!" Neither could move. They both knew fully well that Anakin would not let the small man live. But Ben would try to stop it. He started to run after them, to stop Anakin, but a cloaked figure appeared in front of him. Startled, Ben took a step backward, stumbling on the uneven ground. Padme gasped, recognizing the figure that had attacked her in the mists only minutes ago.  
  
"Ben Kenobi," A voice spoke. It didn't seem to be coming from the figure, but from everywhere. "You shall relinquish Anakin Skywalker to me."  
  
"No." He said with finality. He would not be relinquishing anything else today.  
  
"Then you will die." The figure raised a hand, and sharp blue bolts flew from the fingertips to Ben's body. Ben writhed in pain, the power more painful than anything he could have imagined. It tore at his very being, and as the pain subsided he could feel where the tendrils had burned his flesh. A second blast came when he failed to react, this time more powerful. The Darkness ate away at his power, leaving him helpless to fight back. Finally it stopped, and Ben realized he was on his knees, his hands supporting him on the hot ground. He glanced up to see the face of his attacker.  
  
"Palpatine!" As he unhooked the lightsaber at his hip he was hit with another barrage of energy, and the lightsaber clattered away, just out of reach. He finally cried in pain, having been silent until then. Padme, finally disgusted by the violence, scrambled to Ben's lightsaber and ignited it. She held it to Palpatine throat, his surprise at her forwardness obvious.  
  
"Palpatine," Padme said angrily. "I think it best you leave myself, Obi-Wan, and Anakin alone." Her stare was unwavering. He smirked below his hood, then step backward, soon disappearing altogether.   
  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
  
Morolan, engaged in battle, was growing tired. His back ached from the added weight on his wings, and he was slowing. And with every misstep he took it seemed that his foe became more accurate.  
  
In truth, Anakin was beginning to tire as well. His limbs felt heavy with fatigue, and there was an added presence that distracted him. He seemed as if there was someone watching, just on the edge of his vision. It seemed to be whispering, pushing him forward. He could feel the impurities in the Force that surrounded him, and used it to his advantage.  
  
A surge of anger flew through Anakin as he saw Padme stumble in the distance. Ben had his arm around her for support as they made their way over. His anger turned to rage, and then to hatred. But the emotions felt as if they belonged to someone else. They were foreign and strange, seemingly forced upon him, and felt awkward. The feeling was short-lived though, as Anakin used them to fuel his fight. He had the upper hand again, and Morolan assumed a defensive posture, his feet firmly planted.  
  
Anakin used his height as an advantage over Morolan, pressing him downward with his heavy hits. Morolan was forced to block repeatedly, the vibrations of the clashing 'sabers making his muscles ache. Suddenly, he slipped. Anakin was upon him before he could react, slashing downward without hesitating. The blade cut down Morolan, and his lifeless, tattered body slowly sank into the rapidly softening ground.  
  
  
AN: Amber, Don't hate me! 


	15. 15

AN: I'm sorry this took so incredibly long to update, I completely lost interest a bit ago. But with the nagging and prodding of Amber and the introduction of a new Dominic Lucero DVD into my collection, I was finally coerced into finishing this up. So, I hope you enjoy the last few promised chapters. Oh, and I'm sure there are typos galore in here. Sorry about that, but I can't disappoint my return readers with a typo-less chapter! And I am posting without Amber's approval, so I hope you all can forgive me (ok, mostly Amber's forgiveness is what I want ^_^). I don't want to be there when she read this, cuz y'know... that's always akward. Plus I needed somethign to do while waiting for Placebo to download... So anyway, please review, I would love it beyond what you can imagine. :D Thanks!  
  
  
Fueled by his opponent's death, Anakin could feel an incredible new power burning through his veins. It hurt, and yet felt so good. He finally knew he was all powerful, and it had taken this long to gain that power. Beyond the mists Anakin could sense a ripple, and disturbance, but dismissed it. His new found power was disorienting at best, and there was nothing he couldn't handle.  
  
Ben and Padme struggled their way to Anakin while the young man stood staring.  
  
"Come help," Ben said, buckling quickly from fatigue.  
  
A voice spoke in Anakin's head, though seemed to come from everywhere.  
  
"He orders you around as if you are still a slave."  
  
Anakin's brows lowered at the thought.  
  
"He is no longer your master. He has chosen his life, and is now free to do as he pleases, as are you." Anakin agreed, though the idea seemed forced to him. It was Obi-Wan still, and always would be to him. Ben would never be the man's name to him, and he would always answer to his master.  
  
"Is that what you want? To live a life of servitude, thinly veiled behind the name of Jedi?"  
  
"No," Anakin said aloud.  
  
"Why not?" Ben asked, confused. "She needs your help."  
  
A flicker. Anakin reached to help, and found himself unable to obey. Suddenly his mind flew from one possibility to the next, considering the idea that what he was seeing was simply a dream.  
  
"No dream, Anakin. Destroy him."  
  
Without thinking, Anakin attacked. Ben, quick despite his surprise, shoved Padme aside while he flung his lightsaber in front of his face to block Anakin's descending blow. With speed Ben had never imagined Anakin possessed, the man spun around, hoping to catch Ben in the legs and knock him over. Seeing the coming attack, Ben jumped and lashed out, kicking Anakin squarely between his shoulder blades.  
  
"Anakin! What are you doing?!" Ben called to the man now at his feet. From the hot ground Anakin grimaced, ignoring Ben's wide-eyed stare. He flung himself once again at the older man, only to be easily turned away to land on his rapidly bruising limbs and back.  
  
"Use your anger!" The voice filled Anakin's head so loudly it seemed to hurt his ears. Another flicker. Something was wrong; this situation was not as it should be.   
  
"Master?" Anakin asked, dizzy.  
  
"Ignore it! Listen to me, Anakin!" Somewhere a terrible roaring sound began, blocking Ben's shouts. He threw his hands to his ears, inadequately trying to block out the voice destroying his thoughts as well.  
  
"Now!" The voice seemed to echo as if it were distant, but no less powerful.  
  
Anakin wasted not a second, pouncing on Ben like a cat to prey. Ben was quick to defend once again, pain clearly etching into his features at fighting with his once-Padawan. All the while playing through Anakin's head behind a chorus of cries urging him on was Master Qui-Gon's voice, muttering "This is wrong…" over and over. Clearly, the man had gone mad. It was simple to Anakin. There was a single evil being in his sight, and it was Ben. Anakin did not question, did not think. Something burrowed, dark and instinctive told him to destroy the man before him, and who was he to argue?  
  
"Anakin!" Again, Ben tried to reason with the other man.  
  
"You do not respond to him."  
  
"I do not respond to you!" Anakin's voice sounded rehearsed and mechanical. Again he pressed, fighting with a power not his own. The foreignness of the feeling returned, but this time it was less unwelcome. Anakin embraced the power, finally understanding its potential.  
  
Finally Anakin fell, as Palpatine had so long predicted he would. He fell to the power, consumed completely by the seductive future it promised. Anakin could feel it as he lost himself, felt the grief, misery and anger as they took over his consciousness. They flew through him, tainting his very being as a new word etched itself into his mind, erasing the once-powerful Jedi: Sith.  
  
His strength doubled as his attacks grew more accurate with every blow. As Morolan had fallen, Ben was forced to defend blow after blow, slowly backing his way to the crack leading to a river of liquid magma. Ben was down, one hand bracing him against the ground as he sat on one knee.  
  
His back was to the crack, a meter away. Ben could not win without attacking, yet it seemed he could not bring himself to do it. Ben tried one last plea far Anakin's attention before his lightsaber was knocked from his hand by the force of a sideways hit. Anakin smiled down at the man at his feet. It was an evil, twisted smile, causing Ben to feel fear for the first time in his Jedi Knighthood.  
  
A softer voice, distant and unused, broke through the roar and mists surrounding the pair.  
  
"Ani…" It nearly strangled Anakin in its own weight. He swiveled and raised his arm as a reflex, not expecting to see the tear stained face of his wife before him. Recognizing the gesture, Padme flinched and ducked, giving Ben the perfect opportunity to keep Anakin from causing more harm.  
  
Ben kicked at the back of Anakin's knees, sending the man off balance and falling to the ground. Ben hadn't anticipated Anakin's own reaction, and in horror watched as Anakin, forgetting how close they were to the chasm, shifted his weight and rolled backward, directly to the edge of the crack.  
  
Anakin realized too late that the ground has vanished beneath him, and he untucked and flailed wildly as he reached for the edge. He came in contact not with the sticky substance creating the wall of the crack, but Ben's outstretched hand, trying desperately to pull him to safety. At the touch of his old master Anakin's skin began to burn and feel as if it were in a fire. He screamed, writhing and twisting as Ben fought for a better grasp. With every movement the pain grew more and more intense, until Anakin could not stand it for another second. Using his few shreds of sanity left unconsumed by rage, Anakin used the Force, willing Ben's grip to loosen and slip. Ben's mind, easily controlled in his distracted state, obliged. He let go, and sent Anakin and his heart-shattering screams to the magma flow below. 


	16. 16

Gray. Gray was all Ben could see, his mind and fingers numb as he watched Anakin's decent. Was it his fault? No, he told himself. He would never have consciously sent his own padawan to his death. And yet, he distinctly remembered letting go. The images played through his mind again and again, his fingers pulling away from Anakin's pale skin, and those wide eyes as they were consumed by the rising mists flowing off the magma.  
  
Someone was weeping, very far away. No, crying. Screaming. The sound grew, until it seemed to surround Ben. He felt a tingle on his back and shoulders, and that sensation grew as well until he recognized it as someone hitting him. It made no difference, he could not move. He gradually recognized the screaming voice and pounding fists as Padme's, but they were of no concern. Her words were jumbled and indecipherable, and Ben did not even care try guess her intent. There was something foreign on his cheek, and he finally raised his dirty hand to brush it away.  
  
When Ben pulled his hand from his face, he was met with a single tear clinging to his rough skin. And like he'd been punched in the stomach, Ben fell over. Feeling, sensations, emotions and thoughts came rushing back to him at once, thoroughly knocking him down with more force than any mere fists. In torrents his tears began to fall, his own sobs matching Padme's. In his mind he knew he'd done it. He had destroyed his padawan, then led the boy to his death. He was not ready to completely accept responsibility for letting go of Anakin's hand, but knew if it weren't for him Anakin would still be alive. For a brief moment Ben considered throwing himself in after Anakin, tossing his body into the magma like a forgotten rag doll. In the mists he could be free, free to find Anakin and pull him out, free to forget what had just happened and start again. Free to save his Padawan.  
  
Ben knew death, and understood it to be one of the easier transitions in a Jedi's life. But something tugged at his intuition, his senses. Perhaps Anakin was not dead…  
  
He stood, pushing Padme back. She had stopped hitting him and was no longer screaming, but her tears were obvious and she made no attempts to hide them. Ben glanced over the edge, contemplating to possibility that Anakin would live. Abruptly he turned, not liking his conclusion. He expected Padme to pummel him again with her tiny fits, to vent her rage on him for killing her husband. Instead, she simply fell into his arms, pulling herself to him and crying into his garments. With no other choice obvious, Ben scooped the small woman up and slowly began the hike out of the mists. 


End file.
